Comfort Level
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Cedric finally tells Sofia his reason for wearing gloves.


Comfort Level

Summary: Cedric finally tells Sofia his reason for wearing gloves.

Sofia skipped through the hallway, singing a song she'd learned in the Buttercups today. It was about being true to oneself and believing in one's own abilities. It made her think about her mentor, Cedric. He often didn't believe in himself, though he was getting better, so she felt it was important to keep his spirits up. It seemed to be working, because he'd improved a lot over the last two years.

The auburn-haired princess climbed the steps to Cedric's workshop and knocked, waiting patiently for her favorite sorcerer to greet her.

Cedric opened the door with his wand and wordlessly beckoned the princess inside as he shut the door in the same manner.

"Mr. Ce—"

"Shh," Cedric shushed her, holding a finger to his lips as he leaned over one of his potions. "I've just about got this right." With one last drop of a red liquid, he sighed in satisfaction and smiled. "There, perfect." He lifted a gingerbread cookie and offered it to Sofia. "Here you are."

Sofia blinked, accepted the cookie, and giggled. "This is what was so serious?"

"Do you have any idea how long it takes to get the perfect eye-to-mouth ratio on a gingerbread man?"

"No?"

"Longer than necessary," he insisted, chuckling and sitting down. "Now, what can I do for you, Princess?"

Sofia sat opposite him with her cookie and took off her yellow Buttercup hat, placing it on the table before shaking out her hair. "I just wanted to come see you. I haven't seen you in…" She pondered, trying to recall the last time she had spent time with her friend.

Cedric smirked. "Six hours?"

The girl giggled and took a bite from her cookie.

"Well, I can tell you that not much has changed. I'm still working, still conversing with Wormwood, still dressed the same…" He shrugged.

Sofia smiled as she finished off her treat and sighed. "That was a good cookie, Mr. Cedric. Thank you."

"Mm, I'm practicing baking for the festivities in a few weeks. While your father may not want a show this year, he did insist on something simple at least." He eyed her as she grinned. "I have a feeling you had something to do with that."

"Maybe," she teased, giggling.

"Yes, I figured as much." He flexed his fingers and rubbed them gently, working out some cramps that were setting in from dealing with potions most of the day.

Sofia leaned forward and grasped his hands curiously, running her hands over his gloves. She looked up at him expectantly.

Cedric sighed. "Oh, very well… I'll tell you about the gloves now."

She smiled brightly. "Yay!" She retracted her hands and folded them into her lap, listening intently.

He cleared his throat as he continued massaging his tired hands. "Remember the story you told me about your fondness for the color purple, and about your father getting you that dress?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "Much the same can be said for me and these gloves. Actually, my father gave these to me when I first became a sorcerer."

Sofia's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes. He said every sorcerer needs a good pair, whether it's to keep our hands safe from chemicals or to ward off the cold… They're actually somewhat of a comfort, like a security blanket, in a way." He smiled a little bit. "In addition, these gloves can be used even to protect one's hands in old age, when arthritis or something ridiculous is likely to set in."

The princess smiled and patted his hand gently. "But you're not old, Mr. Cedric. You're not super young either, but you're not old."

"If that was intended to be reassuring, I suppose I should thank you," he quipped somewhat sarcastically, chuckling when she laughed. "No, believe it or not, I'm actually _not_ as old as everyone seems to believe I am. I imagine that if I were to get more sleep, I wouldn't look as though I could be my father's brother."

Sofia smiled and held onto his hand. "And just how old _are_ you, Mr. Cedric?"

"Dear girl, don't you know to never ask a sorcerer his age?"

"I thought that was a rule for ladies," she responded with a grin.

"Quite so, but I believe it carries truth for everyone, in some form or fashion." He patted her hand in return and smiled. "Now, are you ready to gather our ingredients for our next project?"

"Sure," she replied happily before adding playfully, "if you're _young_ enough to handle it."

Cedric eyed her warily as she giggled. "I'll remember that, Princess Sofia. Next time you ask for help on a potions test, I'll just think back on this very moment."

She smiled brightly. "I'm just kidding, Mr. Cedric. I'm sorry." She stood and pulled him to his feet, much like she had a habit of doing when he was tired or sluggish. "Come on! It's nice outside, even with autumn ending and winter approaching—the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the water is crystal clear."

"Marvelous. Maybe we'll see a nun spinning around on a hilltop singing about the hills creating music."

The young girl blinked. "Huh?"

Cedric grinned, freeing his hands and placing them on her shoulders, leading her out of the workshop. "Never mind." He looked back to his companion. "Let's go, Wormy!"

Wormwood cawed and flew down to Cedric's shoulder, resting there as the three of them left the tower for the great outdoors.

The end

(A/N: I hope this was enjoyable! I've always wanted to write something about Cedric's gloves, even if this isn't the actual reason for their existence. It seems to make sense anyway. Lol. I think I'll tackle the Amber story next, and I am hoping for some inspiration to come my way. I have a few ideas, thanks to those of you who suggested the story, but I'm still working out details. Hopefully I can have it up within the next week or two, but I do want to take my time with this one. :) I'm so out of my element writing about Amber, since I usually focus on Sofia and Cedric. Haha. We'll see what happens. Have a good week! AquaTurquoise)


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